This disclosure relates to orthodontic appliances, and more particularly to orthodontic appliances used to correct misalignment of a patient's teeth. Such appliances, typically referred to as braces, are used to align and straighten teeth so as to both position them with regard to a person's bite, as well as improve the appearance of a patient's mouth. Such appliances may be used to correct underbites, overbites, malocclusions, and various other misalignments of the teeth.
Braces usually include three types of structures assembled over a patient's teeth. First, to each tooth undergoing treatment is attached a bracket having a slot. Attachment is usually accomplished using some form of adhesive. An archwire is then inserted and tightened into the slots of adjacent brackets of the applicable upper/lower row of teeth. The archwire is held in place in the respective slots by some form of ligating structure. Historically, these ligating structures were elastic bands, but a more recent alternative employs a self-ligating structure of the bracket that uses sliding or hinged doors that alternatively open the slots in the brackets to insert an archwire, and close the slot to retain the archwire in place within the slot. Once this assembly is in place, the tension of the archwire will, over time, align the patient's teeth toward a desired position.
Treatment of a patient's teeth using braces requires several repeated appointments to monitor progress and make adjustments to the braces as treatment progresses. The length of the treatment, and the repeated adjustments is often an annoyance to the patient. What is desired, therefore, is an improved system for treating a patient with braces that reduces the length of treatment by more efficiently aligning a patient's teeth.